Potatoes
by Osoji Nosferatu
Summary: A short story written for English class. Lon'qu has never been one for friends. But when he meets Panne, someone in which he can relate to, he becomes closer to her- slightly. However, feelings of uncomfortable tension arise between them from an accident. Can they restore the friendship they once had? Cover is by bubblegumraccoon on Tumblr (I think) Part of "A Shepherd's Love."


**AN: So this is a oneshot that I wrote for English class as I stated. It's short, fluffy, and I tried to do the characters justice, so let me know if they've been done. Since this was read to a class of non-Fire Emblem-knowers, I had to dumb down the explanations, so sorry for that. Lon'qu x Panne is one of my OTPs, so I figured why not kill two birds with one stone? I got a 100 on it and I figured I'd share the fic I wrote with you. :) **

**Enjoy!**

/

The land of Ylisse was always one of constant motion. If it was not fighting a war it was driving brigands out of its interior. Chrom, the Prince of Ylisse and the commander of the Shepherds, a small division of the Ylissean army, often led his company against bandits and thieves to drive them away. His chief advisor and brilliant tactician, Robin, often paired up warriors on the battlefield to cover their weaknesses or expose their shining traits further. The tactician was far from helpless, unlike most were. He was proficient in swordplay and exceptionally gifted with the art of magic. This particular upcoming battle pitted them against the most feared bandits on the border between Ylisse and Plegia, Ylisse's neighboring country who had recently lost a war to the country in question. As such, necessary precautions were taken, with Chrom, Robin, and Chrom's dry-humor-centric right-hand-man, Frederick, meeting the night before the anticipated battle to discuss plans and strategy.

"What did our scouts say about their men?" Chrom inquired, hoping to gain the upper hand by throwing themselves into battle fully prepared for the worst.

"I was told the bandits only use axes and a small amount of swords, Chrom," Robin replied, drawing two stick figures on the map beside him. The tactician smirked and added two ears onto one of the figures.

Chrom glanced at the eared stick-figure. "I presume that's Panne?" he asked.

"Yeah."

Panne was the last surviving Taguel, a race of creatures that appeared human with abnormal amounts of lush fur on their wrists and necks. While transformed with the aid of a Beast Stone, Panne would appear to be a large, slimmed rabbit with elongated claws and fangs designed for battle. Sitting on her haunches, she sat at the height of two men stacked upon each other. A fearsome addition to the Shepherds; some of the lesser enemies they faced bolted in terror at the mere sight of her fearsome appearance. Her greatest asset was her speed and strength; her downfall was that she was unacquainted to teamwork.

"I was thinking…" Robin idly droned as he twirled the pencil in between his fingers. "… That we should pair Lon'qu with Panne."

"You should know better than anyone that Lon'qu has gynophobia," Frederick stated, a frown overtaking his clean-cut, rigid features.

"Hm? Oh…" Robin chuckled. "The look on his face when I first paired him with Panne was priceless."

"You are cruel man, Robin," Frederick stated.

"No worse than you when you train new recruits, Fred," Robin shot back, using Frederick's most-hated nickname, earning a visible bristle from the stern second-in-command. "Anyway, their assets are virtually the same, being strength and astounding speed."

Chrom crossed his arms and sighed, glad the strategy meeting could continue. "Their downfalls are nearly parallel to the other as well."

"Right."

Lon'qu hailed from the northern country of Regna Ferox, where icy reception was only matched with their icy weather. Predictably, he was cold and distant to everyone, but especially that to women due to a predicament in his childhood. However, his abilities as a warrior were unmatched, being one of the swiftest men in the army. His body was well-toned from many hours of vigorous training, netting him many an eye of the female populace within the ranks which, unfortunately, would not be returned in any way, shape, or form. Lon'qu was able to cut down lesser brigands single-handedly, which awakened Chrom to his various talents.

"I guess that's acceptable," Chrom stated, waving a hand behind him. "Who else should we combine?"

"Pair Gregor with Donnel. The villager could use some experience, especially with a hardened sell-sword like Gregor," Robin replied, drawing two more stick figures onto the map in the process. Quite abruptly, he slapped his forehead and sighed. "Oh, gods. I forgot that Lon'qu and Panne are a little… well, let's say tension is running quite high between them."

"Why would that be?" the prince inquired.

"I think it's because Lon'qu screwed up a certain technique and injured Panne in the process. Or maybe the other way around? Gods, I can't remember…" Robin sighed as he rubbed his temples in frustration. "Although they're both all right physically, they've never been comfortable with each other like before. It's a shame, too; they make a cute couple."

"... Have you become the honorary matchmaker of the Shepherds?" Chrom joked, chuckling slightly.

"No, I haven't, although that's a title I'd wear with great pride."

"Right," Chrom sighed, coughing twice to hide a snicker.

Frederick merely shook his head, wondering how this goofball- albeit a gifted one- managed to become the leading tactician of the entire Ylissean army.

/

Lon'qu was often recruited by the women of the kitchen to help peel potatoes. His quick, nimble fingers and precise movements with a blade- be it knife or sword- were always appreciated. However, they usually had to have a male give him the message and deliver the potatoes, due to Lon'qu's gynophobia. This time was no different than any other, except when he looked up to stretch his shoulders, he saw a particular Taguel standing in front of him.

"How long have you been there?" the curt Feroxi warrior asked.

Panne smiled, albeit slightly. "We Taguel have a way of concealing ourselves even in plain sight."

"Hm. I see," came his curt reply. Within seconds, Lon'qu went back to peeling potatoes. An awkward silence fell over the two, causing Panne to shift nervously.

"Look. Lon'qu, I'm sorry for incorrectly executing our combined techniques on the battlefield."

"..." Lon'qu said nothing while staring a hole into the basket of potatoes.

"I know we both escaped from it, but that scar on your arm…" Panne trailed off, letting an emotion shine through her eyes uncharacteristically. Lon'qu was not sure if it was grief, reluctance, or something else. However, unbeknown to Lon'qu, all three were present in her eyes.

"Think nothing of it. It was merely a mistake that had to be made," Lon'qu replied, shaking his head. He shifted his arm away from Panne to prevent her from looking at it. "If it happened any later, the misfortune could have fallen upon another not as suited to deal with the injury," he stated as he peeled a potato in one fluid slice.

"The Taguel race does not let deeds that they committed go without apology. It has been some time, but I fear that I must apologize." Seeing that she got no reply, she continued. "Lon'qu, I am sorry."

"I need not accept an apology for something that needs no apologizing for."

Their relationship had improved since their first meeting, wherein they barely spoke to the other at all. However, despite opening up immensely considering their personalities, they remained relatively soft-spoken around each other, despite enjoying the other's company. Panne was distant and secluded from the rest of the camp, but was much closer with Lon'qu, perhaps because of his similar nature. As such, her responses were much more personal compared with the rest of the camp.

"Lon'qu, I can't get this off of my conscience until you let me apologize."

"It was a simple mistake; anyone could have made it. Even I, Panne. The chain attack we formulated was a complicated maneuver involving much emphasis on your part and I do not hold you responsible," Lon'qu replied, setting his knife down in the process and standing up to look the Taguel in the eye.

"I did not know that mankind could be as stubborn as a lone survivor of a race like myself," Panne grumbled while shaking her head. Her fur bristled slightly as a result of her annoyance.

"It is simply the Feroxian way. We accept blame for things we did and refuse condolences if we did not cause grief," the swordsman stated while crossing his arms to display his stance of not compromising.

"The one man-spawn I become close to and this is my reception," the Taguel hissed. Panne angered easily if presented with an injustice and this classified as one to her. Her eyes met his in a stare-down. Eventually, she won due to his longtime fear of the female. Lon'qu broke eye contact and shifted slightly. Another awkward silence entwined the two.

"Please… do not look upon me that way," he softly said.

"Then accept my apology!" Panne growled, eliciting a glance from a passing soldier. Panne and Lon'qu both were not known to raise their voice. When one did, it was usually out of intense emotion, in which the Taguel warrior was currently feeling.

"I… cannot," Lon'qu stated, the harshness leaving his voice.

"There must be a deeper reason behind your reasoning. What is it?" Panne asked, seeing the hurt in his eyes but not acknowledging it. Not just yet.

"When I was but a youth, my friend Ke'ri and I frequently spent time together. As a result, we were very good friends. However, when she… fell into a permanent, deep sleep, I could not help but see the same intensity in your gaze as hers," Lon'qu whispered, the memory clearing injuring the hardened warrior. "It reminded me that I had found… a friend who could withstand my gaze without faltering," he said with the slightest traces of a chuckle. The Feroxian's eyes brightened, albeit slightly, at the mention of the word 'friend.'

Panne immediately felt guilty for rekindling the spark of painful memories. "Lon'qu, I'm sorry," she stated while frowning.

"It is all right, Panne. Thank you," he replied, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards.

"Maybe I should become a tactician," Panne abruptly interjected, confusing Lon'qu and eliciting a frown from him.

"Beg pardon?"

"I was not apologizing for bringing up the memory of Ke'ri, Lon'qu. You had mentioned her name before. I was apologizing for my error in the last attack," Panne smiled, crossing her arms and chuckling at her victory.

"You fiend!" Lon'qu yelled, pointing an accusing finger at the Taguel. More passing soldiers glanced and stared at Lon'qu before continuing on their way. The Feroxian swordsman sat back down on his stool and picked up a potato, idly tossing it in his hands. "You also remind me of the quick-thinking that Ke'ri used to pull on me. If our commander thinks I am wise, I pale in comparison to Ke'ri."

"Certain attributes must be utilized if one is to be trusted with the title of 'last survivor,' Lon'qu," Panne replied.

"I must congratulate you for twisting my words and using it against me," Lon'qu mumbled, peeling another potato. He paused for a few seconds, thinking hard. "However, I must admit that the fact of the air being cleared between us is quite refreshing," he observed, lopsidedly smiling at the Taguel in the process.

"Quite," Panne retorted, uncrossing her arms and sitting down an ample distance, being two meters, away from him. Her heightened senses picked up on the sound of footsteps approaching their location. "Lon'qu, there is someone approaching."

As quick as Panne could blink, Lon'qu was standing up straight from his stool with his hand resting on his sword's hilt, ready to draw at a moment's notice.

The tactician, Robin, stepped out between the trees, having reached his destination. He eyed Lon'qu, the warrior's angry stare, and the Feroxian's hand on the sword's hilt. "Whoa, easy, Lon'qu. I'm no brigand," Robin laughed, raising his hands in mock surrender. "That reminds me. When you have a moment, could you teach me a bit of your Feroxian swordplay? Ylisse's style is fine and all, but I was hoping to get some foreign technique in my arsenal."

"It would be an honor," Lon'qu replied. "What would you like to know?" the gynophobia-laden warrior asked.

"I'll tell you when we get to that point," the Shepherd's strategist stated with a smile. "However, I came to tell you that you and Panne need to pair up- oh, hello, Panne. I didn't see you there."

"As I told Lon'qu, we Taguel have a way of disguising ourselves in plain sight if we want to."

"Hiding from me, eh? What did I do this time?" Robin replied jokingly.

"You did nothing to offend me, Robin."

"I know, Panne. I was joking…" Robin mumbled, marveling at how many attempts at humor he had tried on Panne. They all failed. "_Perhaps being the last survivor of a dying race ruined one's sense of humor," _he thought. Brightening somewhat, the enigmatic tactician continued. "Wouldn't want to throw Lon'qu's potato-peeling rhythm off. He's got a good one going," he said, eyeing the full basket of freshly-peeled produce.

"Actually, I had finished before you arrived, Robin."

"See what I mean? What would the Shepherds do without our champion of potato-peeling?" Robin inquired humorously, hoping Lon'qu wouldn't reply the same way Panne did. To Robin's surprise, the strategist was rewarded with exactly what he wanted.

"I'm certain you'd all die of starvation, leaving me to protect Ylisse single-handedly," Lon'qu replied drily, grimly tossing a potato in his hands.

Robin clapped approvingly. "Three cheers for Lon'qu! You're beginning to acquire the sought-after talent called humor!"

"Hilarious," Lon'qu mumbled. Wishing to end this trivial matter, the Feroxian cut to the chase, as his people would have. "What did you need us for, Robin?"

Being the clever individual he was, Robin picked up on Lon'qu's word choice. "'Us?' So I assume you two got over your first lover's spat?"

"We are not lovers, man-spawn," Panne growled, the irritation returning to her tone once again. "Continue."

"Well, I wanted to see if you two would pair up in the brigand skirmish we're going to encounter soon," Robin proposed, somewhat offset by Panne's overly-angry tone of voice.

Panne glanced at Lon'qu, who nodded affirmatively. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Sweetness! Glad to hear it. I'll leave you to your… conversation," Robin snickered as he made his way through the trees again. The instant he thought he was out of earshot, he chuckled to himself. "Definitely one of the cutest couples in the Shepherds."

Panne's enhanced senses heard his statement loud and clear. Surprisingly, it didn't bother her one bit.

/

**AN: Hope you liked it. Leave a review if you did, and I may or may not do some other Awakenign oneshots around this length for fun. :) **

**~The Slain Executioner~**


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